


you're the courage when I fade

by alltears



Series: savior complex [4]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon Gay Character, Dragon Age: Inquisition Quest - Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, Established Relationship, F/F, Girls in Love, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Male-Female Friendship, Slow Dancing, The Winter Palace (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:41:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27754000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltears/pseuds/alltears
Summary: every day as inquisitor was hard. tonight was just too much.(an extension of the slow dancing scene with josephine at the winter palace)
Relationships: Dorian Pavus/The Iron Bull (mentioned), Female Inquisitor & Dorian Pavus, Female Inquisitor/Josephine Montilyet, Josephine Montilyet/Female Trevelyan
Series: savior complex [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030170
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	you're the courage when I fade

**Author's Note:**

> hi hi! it's currently 1am as i upload this. hope you enjoy as we wait for da4! it's only been 6 years since dai!!!11!1!
> 
> title from honeybee by the head and the heart
> 
> my josephine/inquisitor playlist is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2t6KDP0MbdXGhwCAybTNTT?si=9fyh2uGXRXmKEBD0EsVNuQ
> 
> tw // it's just one sentence, but the harassment of cullen by the nobles is mentioned in a negative light. stay safe please!! love you!!

The Winter Palace was easily the worst part of running the Inquisition thus far. Not the fear of death, the infighting, not even the climate of Skyhold - no, all of that paled in comparison to one night dancing around Orlesians.

Truthfully, it wasn’t even the assassination attempts or having to fix a broken political system that was making Natasha Trevelyan consider leaping over the side of the balcony, but rather the party itself. The whispers over her shoulder about her companions (which, okay, maybe bringing the Tevinter mage, the Qunari warrior, and the… Well,  _ Sera _ , to the ball was a poor plan, but those were her friends!) had been driving her mad all evening. Morrigan’s attitude was aggravating. Orlesian nobles had been  _ assaulting  _ her Commander - and friend, mind you. Every glance around the room confirmed that her little family was perfectly miserable.

At least it was mostly over.

Trevelyan gripped the marble framing of the balcony and sighed, her breath clouding around her against the cool night air. Though she was relieved she didn’t have to wear those stuffy velvet jackets, her dress had been pinching around her chest for hours, and her heels were downright impractical. Dorian, Bull, and Sera all made sure to laugh at her every time she had to switch her shoes before getting into a fight. 

(But  _ she  _ fought in a red ball gown, so who  _ really  _ had the last laugh?)

“I’d hoped you’d come out here to relax,” Trevelyan tensed at the intrusion. “But you look just as pissed as you have all evening.”

“Oh, thank the Maker,” Trevelyan turned to face her friend. “I thought you were some noble coming to yell at me for blinking too much.”

“Ha! Thankfully, I’m sure they’ve put most of their qualms with our performance onto the “dirty ‘Vint”, don’t you think?” Dorian strided over and handed her his glass of some earthy wine, which she happily drank. 

“Have they really? If you give Leliana names, I’m sure she can… take care of them,” she ended ambiguously. Dorian quirked an eyebrow. 

“Best let our Nightingale take out more pressing threats, hm?” Natasha snorted, and Dorian’s face lit up. “Finally, she laughs. I’ve been waiting all night for you to enjoy yourself.”

“After tonight? We should be lucky I’ve smiled at all,” Trevelyan finished the rest of the wine and set the empty glass on the banister.

“Thank Andraste I was here, then,” Dorian paused. “Reminds you of home, does it? Parties you’re not truly wanted at, whispers behind your back… I half expected the evening to end with my father pulling me into a locked room and listing how I’d embarrassed him.”

“Oh, dear, I’m sorry,” Dorian waved off her concern. “Truly, though. More of a homecoming than I’d hoped.”

“Well, hopefully you can hide out here for the rest of the festivities.”

“Why don’t you stay with me? We can talk about Lady Arlette’s gown! Did you see it? It was utter  _ shit _ ! Or, we could dance!” Natasha finished by extending a hand towards Dorian and bowing slightly.

“My dear, you’re in the man’s position. Did my lessons teach you nothing?”

“I can ask you to dance however I like. I’m the Inquisitor,” Natasha straightened herself with a laugh. Dorian grasped her shoulders lightly, smiling fondly at her antics.

“I’m so sorry, my dear, but I’m afraid you’re just not my type,” Dorian teased. “You’re much too short, you see.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek and stepped away, taking the glass she’d abandoned.

“If I find out you danced with Bull instead, I won’t speak to you for a week,” Natasha warned, her poorly concealed grin softening the statement.

“And what a long week that will be. I’m afraid someone else has been waiting for your hand all evening, however, and I’m in no position to deny them.”

“Love you, Dorian,” Natasha called as he walked to the doors.

“And I you, My Lady Inquisitor,” As Dorian disappeared from Natasha’s view, Josephine appeared in his place. She paused in the doorway, a hesitation taking over her.

“I… did not mean to intrude, Inquisitor. Should I come back another time?” Josephine asked, certainly hyper-aware that barging in on the Inquisitor could look rude or unprofessional.

“Please, Ambassador,” Trevelyan spoke up, allowing passing nobles to hear their exchange. Josephine smiled, much more like herself, and shut the doors behind her. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“We’ve barely been able to speak all evening. Is everything alright? You look… troubled.”

“Oh, I'm fine,” Natasha lied. Josephine nodded, relieved. When Natasha failed to elaborate, however, Josephine studied her face and groaned.

“No, you are not. Can I get you anything? A drink, perhaps? Oh! Was it something I’ve done? I’d prefer if you’d tell me, please.” Josephine took Natasha’s hands and squeezed once, gently.

“No, no! Not at all, Josie,” Natasha soothed. “Having you here has been the only thing getting me through the night. I mean it.”

Josephine squeezed her hands again, though her furrowed eyebrows remained. This had been a stressful night for all of them, but Josephine had been sleepless for a week leading up to the journey to Halamshiral, worried about their outfits, their manners, their politics, their  _ everything _ . Natasha was suddenly filled with gratitude, both for Josephine’s hard work and for her heels, because, for the first time, she could kiss Josephine without leaning up on her tiptoes. The embrace was short and soft, but Trevelyan could feel Josephine's tense shoulders begin to relax nonetheless.

“Will you tell me why you’re hiding out here, my lady?” Trevelyan stepped out of Josephine’s arms to lean against the banister.

“I’ve told you of my family, and our relationship,” Josephine nodded. “I can’t say I miss the nights I’d spent locked away in my room while a party was going on just downstairs, or shoved into an uncomfortable dress so that Sister Who-Gives-A-Shit might think I could be a good Sister. I… I never wanted any of that, and this just brought back too many memories, I suppose. ‘Modest in Temper, Bold in Deed’. I was a bit too bold in both aspects, I think.”

“That I believe,” Josephine remarked. “The rest… How could anyone not see how utterly delightful you are?”   
  


“Josie, have you known me to hold my tongue? And I don’t just mean-”

“Natasha!” Josephine stopped her, her cheeks going pink. “You are clearly one to speak your mind.”

“Precisely. You can see why the Revered Mother wasn’t my closest friend.”

“I suppose…” Josephine frowned. “Still, I wish you would have told me you were feeling this way. Perhaps I could have done something…”

“Please, you had a job to do. We all did. I’ve had lots of shitty nights as Inquisitor, I’ve learned to accept them.”

Josephine nodded again, but she seemed pained. Her hands were fidgeting like she couldn’t keep them still, and her newly-wet eyes shined under the light of the moon.

“I want to make this easier for you. Carry your burden, at least a bit.”

“Hey, hey,” Trevelyan brushed her fingers over Josephine’s jaw and cupped her face in her hands, ready to wipe away any rogue tears. “Josie. My darling. You are there for me at the end of every day, good or bad.  _ That  _ is the best thing you could do for me. I promise.”

“Natasha,” Josephine breathed, bringing her hands to her lover’s waist and pulling her close. Their lips met, a familiar and comforting joy. When Josephine pulled away, her cheeks were wet.

“Oh, Josie…” Josephine shook her head in dismissal and smiled.

“Would you care to dance with me, Lady Natasha?” Josephine asked, extending a hand much like Natasha had done to Dorian just moments earlier.

“I would love to.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!! comments and kudos make my day :) love you all!! i hope you're staying safe!!


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